Voting Poll Results: Most Credit Unions Accept Usage of "Bank" Words

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – CUNA Chairman Dick Ensweiler inspired the just-expired voting poll when during a speech at a credit union conference he said credit unions should try to refrain from using "bank" terms in their marketing efforts – that's easier said than done according to many respondents. Credit Union Times received a host of letters on this poll and many said "bank" and "banking" are generic terms for what credit union members do at their credit union, and eliminating those terms is pointless. However there was also a segment that said they'd love to stop using the words, but can't find a sensible alternative. Then there were some who said yes they have stopped using the words. For example for online banking, they call it "credit union online", etc. Results to the voting poll question show the industry is divided. While over 57% said credit unions shouldn't eliminate the "bank" words, 36% said they should. The question and results are as follows: Should credit unions eliminate "bank" and "banking" from their marketing vocabulary? * Yes…………………………………..36.39% * No……………………………………57.78% * Not Sure…………………………….5.83% Total Votes:………………………………926